Sack of Somnath

Sack of Somnath
	Part of Ghaznavid campaigns in India
	; Ruins of Somnath as viewed in 1869
Date	January 1026
Location	Somnath Temple 20°53′16.9″N70°24′5.0″E / 20.888028°N 70.401389°E
Result	Ghaznavid Victory
Belligerents
Ghaznavids	Chaulukya dynasty
Commanders and leaders
Mahmud of Ghazni	Bhima I
Strength
60,000	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	50,000
	class=notpageimage\| Location within Gujarat Sack of Somnath (India)

Last updated June 05, 2024

The Sack of Somnath in 1026 was a military campaign orchestrated by Mahmud of Ghazni, a ruler of the Ghaznavid Empire, directed against the Chaulukya dynasty of Gujarat. This is considered Mahmud's fifteenth invasion of India, which saw strategic captures and decisive battles and culminated in the destruction of the revered Somnath Temple. Facing staunch resistance, Mahmud's forces emerged victorious, resulting in significant casualties.

Entering Somnath in mid-January, Mahmud looted and burned the temple, earning him the title 'The Idol Breaker.' His swift departure encountered naval clashes with the Jats near the Indus River. Conducting a naval attack near the Indus River, Mahmud of Ghazni inflicted a severe defeat on the Jats, compelling them to retreat with substantial losses. This event remains a historical symbol of cultural clash and religious desecration during Mahmud's military campaigns in medieval India.

Background

The Somnath Temple, situated in Veraval, Gujarat, India, is a sacred Hindu temple. In 1026, Gujarat was under the rule of King Bhima I from the Chalukya dynasty.^[1] Mahmud of Ghazni conducted multiple attacks on Indian kingdoms during that era.^[2] Mahmud of Ghazni gained renown through campaigns in India, vassalizing the Gurjara Pratihara dynasty and overthrowing the Hindu Shahi dynasty. His successful campaigns against the Chandelas and other Hindu chiefs established him as a formidable figure among Indian kings.^[3]

March towards Gujarat

On October 18, 1025, Mahmud of Ghazni embarked on a march from Ghazni, leading 30,000 cavalry and 30,000 camel riders equipped with essential resources like food and water. After a rest in Multan, they resumed their journey in November, proceeding through the desert.^[4]

Mahmud initially seized the Ludrava pass, near Chiklodara Mata, close to Palanpur. By the end of December, he entered the Chalukya territories, prompting its ruler, Bhima I, to flee to Kachchh upon hearing of the Ghaznavid approach, fearing for his life.^[3]^[4]

Mahmud of Ghazni stationed his army at Patan, bolstering resources for the campaign. A decisive battle unfolded with the Patan army at Mundher, where Mahmud emerged victorious. He then advanced towards Somnath, seizing the Somnath fort from Mandalika, the fort's overseer.^[4]

At Somnath

Known as his fifteenth invasion of India, Mahmud's Somnath expedition targeted the temple located in the southernmost part of Kathiawar. By mid-January, Mahmud arrived at Somnath, encountering robust resistance from the Chalukya Rajputs. On the third day of the battle, the Ghaznavid forces found themselves surrounded, yet they ultimately triumphed, defeating the Chalukyas and causing 50,000 casualties among the defending forces.^[5]

Mahmud of Ghazni, upon entering the temple, plundered the idols and shattered the Shiva Linga into pieces. He extensively looted and razed the temple to the ground. Within a month, Mahmud departed Somnath for Ghazni, facing numerous attacks from the Jats along the way.^[4] Conducting a naval attack near the Indus River, Mahmud of Ghazni inflicted a severe defeat on the Jats, compelling them to retreat with substantial losses. This successful campaign earned Mahmud the title 'The Idol Breaker'.^[5]^[6]

Related Research Articles

Abu al-Qasim Mahmud ibn Sabuktigin, usually known as Mahmud of Ghazni or Mahmud Ghaznavi, was Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire, ruling from 998 to 1030. During his reign and in medieval sources, he is usually known by his honorific Yamin al-Dawla. At the time of his death, his kingdom had been transformed into an extensive military empire, which extended from northwestern Iran proper to the Punjab in the Indian subcontinent, Khwarazm in Transoxiana, and Makran.

The Gurjara-Pratihara was a dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century. They ruled first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj.

The Somnath temple(IAST: somanātha) or Deo Patan, is a Hindu temple located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat, India. It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus and is the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is unclear when the first version of the Somnath temple was built, with estimates varying between the early centuries of the 1st millennium and about the 9th century CE. The temple is not mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism; while various texts, including the Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana, mention a tirtha at Prabhas Patan on the coastline of Saurashtra, where the temple is presently located, there is no evidence that a temple existed at the site in ancient times.

Qutb ud-Din Aibak, was a general of the Ghurid emperor Muhammad Ghori. He was in charge of the Ghurid territories in northern India, and after Muhammad Ghori's assassination in 1206, he established the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526), and started the Mamluk dynasty, which would rule the Sultanate until 1290.

Navaghana was an early Chudasama king known only from the ballads and folklore of Saurashtra of Gujarat, India. His capital was at Vamanasthali which he later moved to Junagadh during his last years of reign.

Bhima I was a Chaulukya king who ruled parts of present-day Gujarat, India. The early years of his reign saw an invasion from the Ghaznavid ruler Mahmud, who sacked the Somnath temple. Bhima left his capital and took shelter in Kanthkot during this invasion, but after Mahmud's departure, he recovered his power and retained his ancestral territories. He crushed a rebellion by his vassals at Arbuda, and unsuccessfully tried to invade the Naddula Chahamana kingdom. Towards the end of his reign, he formed an alliance with the Kalachuri king Lakshmi-Karna, and played an important role in the downfall of the Paramara king Bhoja.

The Chaulukya dynasty, also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between c. 940 CE and c. 1244 CE. Their capital was located at Anahilavada. At times, their rule extended to the Malwa region in present-day Madhya Pradesh. The family is also known as the "Solanki dynasty" in the vernacular literature. They belonged to the Solanki clan of Rajputs.

The Chudasama dynasty, a Samma branch, ruled parts of the present-day Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in India between the 9th and 15th centuries. Their capital was based in Junagadh and Vamanasthali.

The 11th century Paramara king Bhoja ruled from his capital at Dhara. The period of his reign is dated approximately 1010 CE to 1055 CE, although some historians believe that he ascended the throne before 1010 CE. Bhoja inherited a kingdom centered around the Malwa region, and made several attempts to expand it varying results. He managed to annex territories as far as northern parts of Konkan, but these territorial gains were short-lived. He fought wars against several of his neighbours, including the Chaulukyas of Gujarat, the Chalukyas of Lata, the Chalukyas of Kalyani, the Chandelas of Jejakabhukti, the Kachchhapaghatas of Gwalior, the Chahamanas of Shakambhari, the Chahamanas of Naddula, and the Kalachuris of Tripuri. He also conflicted with Gaznavid Turk Invaders, Mahmud's desecration of the Somnath temple in Gujarat motivated Bhoja to lead an army against him, however after Somnath raid, Mahmud Gazhnavi chose a more dangerous route via Sindh, to avoid facing the invading powerful armies of Bhoja.

Subhatavarman, also known as Sohada, was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty, who ruled in the Malwa region of central India.

Vigraharāja II was a king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the Sapadalaksha country, which included parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India.

Durlabha-raja was an Indian king who ruled parts of present-day Gujarat from his capital at Anahilapataka. He was a member of the Chaulukya dynasty.

Bhima II, also known as Bhola Bhima, was an Indian king who ruled parts of present-day Gujarat. He was a member of the Chaulukya dynasty. During his reign, the dynasty's power declined greatly as a result of rebellions by the feudatories as well as external invasions by the Ghurids, the Paramaras, and the Yadavas of Devagiri. The kingdom, however, was saved by his generals Arnoraja, Lavanaprasada and Viradhavala, whose family established the Vaghela dynasty.

Anahilla was an Indian king belonging to the Naddula Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the area around Naddula. He defeated the Chaulukya king Bhima I, defeated a general of the Paramara king Bhoja, and also defended his territory against the Ghaznavids.

Tribhuvanapala was the last king of the Chaulukya dynasty of western India. He ruled parts of present-day Gujarat from his capital at Anahilapataka. He ruled for a short period before dying heirless or being dethroned, after which the Vaghela dynasty assumed control of the kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Kasahrada</span> 12th century battle in India

The Battle of Kasahrada, also known as Battle of Kayadara or Battle of Gadararaghatta was fought in 1178 at modern Kasahrada in Sirohi district near Mount Abu in present-day Rajasthan. It was fought between the Rajput Confederacy led by Mularaja II and the invading Ghurid forces led by Muhammad of Ghor, during which the Ghurid forces were signally defeated.

Naiki Devi was the regent queen of Chaulukya dynasty during her son Mularaja II's infancy from 1175. She was a queen of the Chaulukya king Ajayapala.

The Ghurid campaigns in India were a series of invasions for 31 years (1175–1206) by the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor in the last quarter of the twelfth and early decade of the thirteenth century which lead to the widespread expansion of the Ghurid empire in the Indian subcontinent.

The Ghaznavid campaigns in India refer to a series of military expeditions lasting 54 years (973–1027) launched by the Ghaznavid Empire, a prominent empire of the 10th and 11th centuries, into the Indian subcontinent, led primarily by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, leaving a profound impact on the region's history and culture.

The Ghaznavid invasion of Kannauj or the siege of Kannauj in 1018 was a military campaign conducted by Mahmud of Ghazni, the then ruler of the Ghaznavid Empire, against the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty. During this siege, the Gurjar ruler, Rajyapala, eventually surrendered to Mahmud of Ghazni, thereby accepting nominal suzerainty under his rule. This event marked the decline of the Gurjara dynasty's power. In the aftermath of his surrender to Mahmud, Rajyapala met his demise at the hands of the Chandela ruler, Vidhyadara, for capitulating to the Ghaznavid conqueror.

References

↑ Majumdar, Asoke Kumar (1956). Chaulukyas of Gujarat: A Survey of the History and Culture of Gujarat from the Middle of the Tenth to the End of the Thirteenth Century. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 40–60.
↑ Gupta, Nilima Sen (1984). Cultural History of Kapisa and Gandhara. Sundeep. ISBN 978-81-7574-027-3.
1 2 Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. ISBN 978-81-224-1198-0.
1 2 3 4 Munshi, Kanaiyalal Maneklal (1952). Somnath: The Shrine Eternal. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 35–40.
1 2 Mehta, Jaswant Lal (1979). Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-207-0617-0.
↑ Jindal, Mangal Sen (1992). History of Origin of Some Clans in India, with Special Reference to Jats. Sarup & Sons. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-81-85431-08-6.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Majumdar, Asoke Kumar (1956). Chaulukyas of Gujarat: A Survey of the History and Culture of Gujarat from the Middle of the Tenth to the End of the Thirteenth Century. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 40–60.

[2] Gupta, Nilima Sen (1984). Cultural History of Kapisa and Gandhara. Sundeep. ISBN 978-81-7574-027-3.

[:0-3] 1 2 Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. ISBN 978-81-224-1198-0.

[:1-4] 1 2 3 4 Munshi, Kanaiyalal Maneklal (1952). Somnath: The Shrine Eternal. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 35–40.

[:2-5] 1 2 Mehta, Jaswant Lal (1979). Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-207-0617-0.

[6] Jindal, Mangal Sen (1992). History of Origin of Some Clans in India, with Special Reference to Jats. Sarup & Sons. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-81-85431-08-6.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]